


If It's Meant To Be (It'll Be, It'll Be)

by lululawrence



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Dresden - Freeform, Famous Harry, Famous Louis, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Model Louis, Mutual Pining, Pining, Travel Guide Harry, i dunno i'm the worst at this, i think, the city is basically a character, this entire fic is basically an ode to the frauenkirche
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-18 21:19:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11883030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lululawrence/pseuds/lululawrence
Summary: “So, anyway.  I’m done here and on my way to the airport.  I think I’m expected to be there in the morning, around ten.  I’ll let you know when I’m getting close.”“Sounds good.”  Harry pulled back from the window and threw himself onto one of the beds.  Once he got comfortable, he steeled himself and then went for it.  “It’s been too long this time, Lou,” he finally whispered.  He watched as Louis bit his lip and nodded slowly.“I know,” Louis agreed, just as quiet in return.  “We have to swear to never go this long without seeing each other again.  Two months is just...unacceptable.  I’m gonna go now, but I’ll see you soon.  ‘Kay?”“Yeah.  See you.  Be safe,” Harry said, far too fondly for his best friend.  He couldn’t help it though.  It was how he always had been and probably always would be.They hung up and Harry threw his arm over his face.“I am so in love with him,” he whined to himself.  “Fuck.”





	If It's Meant To Be (It'll Be, It'll Be)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QuickedWeen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickedWeen/gifts).



> [MOOLLLLLYYYYYY](http://becomeawendybird.tumblr.com)!!! It's your birthday and I love you an awful lot so I really hope you like this fic. I was so inspired I actually finished it early, and you know how NOT ME that is! This fic is actually very incredibly over the top selfishly written, but i thought you wouldn't mind too much since we have similar taste in fics. haha I hope you have the bestest birthday and everyone bows to you, as they should. :D
> 
> This fic was also written as part of an ongoing challenge. We each select random numbers and are given a specific emotion from the book 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names. To read the other fics written in this challenge, [click here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/ShortFic_Challenge_For_Which_There_Is_No_Name/works), or you can find the masterpost on tumblr [here](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/159679804243/1000-feelings-for-which-there-are-no-names-prompt).
> 
> My prompt was 247: the awe every time you see the Cologne Cathedral. I...uhm yeah. Well, you'll see. I got this and saw it was about Germany and then made it an ode to Dresden. As you do. Cough.
> 
> This is all fiction, it's all made up (except for the awesomeness of Dresden and the Frauenkirche...you should be happy I didn't go into das Blaue Wunder and so much more during all of this...) and I wrote most of the stuff about Dresden from memory of when I lived there, but I last visited 10 years ago so I apologize if I got anything wrong.
> 
> Biggest thanks to my cheerleaders and brainstorming buddies [Tin](http://silentlarryshipper.tumblr.com) and [India](http://indiaalphawhiskey.tumblr.com) as well as my beta [B](http://haloeverlasting.tumblr.com) for all of their help! As always, all remaining mistakes are my own.
> 
> The title comes from Bebe Rexha and the Florida George Line's song Meant to Be. I hope you love it!

Harry opened Instagram and looked around the hotel room as he waited for it to load.  It was fairly high up, the tenth floor or something close, in one of the main thoroughfares in Altstadt Dresden, so his view was beautiful.  He could see two of the famous, old churches the city boasted from his room at least partially, and he smiled.  It had been a long flight from New York City to Berlin, but the short reprieve before he caught his train to Dresden was appreciated.

All the same, it wasn’t long enough to get his lower back to stop aching after that much time on the plane, but he was pretty much used to that at this point.  Harry was well known for his travel guide show on the Travel Channel, or as well known as you can get in the profession, and thanks to that he had the next year and a half’s worth of trips already scheduled and planned.  Dresden, though, was just for him.

Harry looked down and found that his feed had loaded, and at the top was a notification that Louis Tomlinson had posted to his story. Harry had exactly as much self control regarding Louis as he always did.  In other words, it took him less than two seconds to click on that circle and see what Louis had been up to since Harry last checked in Berlin.

It was an amalgamation of various clips showing behind the scenes of the latest shoot for i-D, where he was taking part in a large spread highlighting the upcoming fall fashions.  Louis had stumbled into modeling, in a way, but was too short to make it in runway fashion.  He was hugely popular for his print modeling, though, and was highly coveted for spreads like these.  

Harry was so proud.  Back in high school neither of them would ever have expected to be where they are now, incredibly successful by the age of 26.  Hell, back then it had been their hope to just get accepted to the same college so they could be roommates.  Little had they known how things would change.

Louis was laughing and then pulling himself back into a pout for the camera and Harry just shook his head.  Louis just had an ability to know which angle was best for him and hardly needed any direction from the photographer.  It was incredible to see.

He was just about to rewatch all of them so he could find a clip where it looked like a sliver of Louis’ tummy was on display when the man himself popped up on Harry’s screen for a Facetime call.

Harry accepted and waited for Louis to show up.

“Harryyyyyyyy!” Louis cheered.  “I’m done!  I’m almost on my way to you!”

Harry smiled widely as he watched Louis do a little dance in the seat of what was clearly an Uber or Addison Lee.  

“Please do be careful and don’t cause the driver to crash thanks to your distractions,” Harry chided.  He knew it was worthless though, because his smile was taking over his entire face still.  Harry was worthless for this kind of thing when it came to Louis.  Always had been.

“Sure, sure.  So you made it safely?  Checked into our swanky hotel room and everything?”

Harry chuckled and turned the camera so Louis could look out the window as well.  “You upgraded my reservation, didn’t you?”  Harry finally took his eyes off Louis and looked back to the window and he could just about see the Elbe River.  Or he imagined he could anyway.

“Yeah, Harry.  The Holiday Inn was really gonna break the bank if I requested a room with a nice view.”  Louis was making a funny face at Harry, mocking him.

Harry rolled his eyes.  “Whatever.  Thank you.  I know you know how much I love Dresden, so just.  Thank you.”

They both sat in easy silence as they both just took in the cities that surrounded them.  Harry tried to anyway.  The view of Louis, bathed in waning sunlight, was more than distracting.  Eventually, Louis cleared his throat and spoke again.  “So, anyway.  I’m done here and on my way to the airport.  I think I’m expected to be there in the morning, around ten.  I’ll let you know when I’m getting close.”

“Sounds good.”  Harry pulled back from the window and threw himself onto one of the beds.  Once he got comfortable, he steeled himself and then went for it.  “It’s been too long this time, Lou,” he finally whispered.  He watched as Louis bit his lip and nodded slowly.

“I know,” Louis agreed, just as quiet in return.  “We have to swear to never go this long without seeing each other again.  Two months is just...unacceptable.”

Harry sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.  “I know my schedule for the next while, but I am able to reschedule things as long as it’s far enough in advance.  Maybe we can figure some things out.”

“Yeah.  Okay.”  Louis looked as if he had something more to say, but then he let out a deep sigh and just nodded.  “Yeah.  I’m gonna go now, but I’ll see you soon.  ‘Kay?”

“Yeah.  See you.  Be safe,” Harry said, far too fondly for his best friend.  He couldn’t help it though.  It was how he always had been and probably always would be. 

They hung up and Harry threw his arm over his face.  

“I am so in love with him,” he whined to himself.  “Fuck.”

 

*~~***~~*

 

Harry blinked his eyes open and jolted back when he realized there was a  _ person _ beside him.

“Oh my God, Harry!  I’m sorry,” Louis said, laughing.  “You were so dead to the world you didn’t get my texts, so I just got the key from the front desk and came up.  I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Harry closed his eyes and held his hand to his chest, waiting for his heart to calm down again.  It always raced when Louis was in close proximity, but that extra jolt of adrenaline was not his normal and he’d really rather not die of a heart attack so young.

“Okay.  So, I see you made it safely?” Harry said.  He finally opened his eyes and saw Louis watching him, a soft smile on his face.  Louis reached out his hand and ran it through Harry’s bed head frazzled curls.  Damn him.  Louis knew exactly how much Harry loved that.

“Yeah.  The plane was early, actually, so that was a pleasant surprise.  Was able to catch an earlier train than I expected.”

Harry lifted himself up on his elbow to see over Louis’ body in order to check the time.  The clock read 7:20.

Harry flopped back down, eyebrows raised.  “You got here a  _ lot _ earlier than expected.  How’d you work that?”

Louis smirked.  “The earlier train was an ICE so that cut a few hours off the travel time as well.  I’ve actually been here awhile already.”

Harry blinked again and noticed that Louis had showered, since his hair was still wet.  God, he even smelled incredible, just like Harry’s favorite…

“You used my body wash again,” Harry said, his voice unamused.  “I told you I can buy you your own if you would let me.”

Louis flushed a bit.  “I know, but this way it feels like more of a special occasion kind of thing.”  Louis shrugged.  

Harry blinked slowly, still waking up.  “Yeah.  Alright.  Wanna go to my favorite cafe over by the Technical University and get a cappuccino?”

Louis bounced a little on the bed.  “God, yes!  Please give me caffeine, Harry.  I need it so fucking bad.”

Harry shook his head.  That was probably the last thing Louis needed, but the day Harry said no to Louis was probably the day that scientists announce an alien attack.

“Okay.  Get yourself primped like I know you want to and then we’ll go out and get this day started.”

 

*~~***~~*

 

Harry stood outside of what used to be the SKY Cafe.  It was closed and empty at the moment, undergoing renovations for the new management.  

“It’s okay, H.  We can eat somewhere else,” Louis said, trying to soothe him.  It didn’t really help.  Harry had loved the SKY Cafe.  It was the entire top level of a three level little mini mall kind of tower and it’s patio was just the roof of the building.  They had these large globes that would light the area and changed colors, and the space was comfortable and cosmopolitan without being ridiculously priced or overly fancy.  In other words it was exactly his kind of place.

“Okay, fine.  Let’s go get you a Döner and tonight maybe we can go to the Ratskeller restaurant to make up for this.”

Louis shook his head and followed Harry out.  It didn’t take long for them to find a street cart selling the delicious Turkish food Harry also loved.  They ate as they walked towards the popular Frauenkirche.  They’d spent the morning around the TU, Harry talking about the history some of the buildings had with the previous regimes and how they’d repurposed them for education.  Harry always had found that to be a romantic notion, to take history that had been twisted into something ugly and make it into something useful and  _ good _ again.

“So, why are we walking past this imposing and old cathedral to get to this other church?” Louis asked as he looked at the spires rising from the Holy Cross Church, or the Kreuzkirche.  It did strike you with a sense of awe, but it just didn’t hold the same personal meaning for Harry as the Frauenkirche did.

“So you know about the bombing of Dresden and how much of the city was left in rubble, right?”  Harry asked.  Louis took another big bite of his kebab, and nodded.  “Well, the Frauenkirche was left completely ruined.  What had been one of the most beloved jewels of Dresden was just decimated.  Through all the cleanup, one of the beautiful things the residents and volunteers did was search to see if they could find any stones that could be used eventually for the rebuilding of the church.  Most were obviously damaged beyond repair, but not all of them.”

Harry paused because he was leading Louis around a corner now and he knew Louis would be able to see the gorgeous Frauenkirche and feel her story and power shortly.  Louis gasped when his eyes landed on the beautiful, sandstone church.

“It took them a long time to be able to rebuild it, and it actually only reopened fairly recently when looking at the grand scheme of things, but the darker stones that you see throughout the building are actually part of the original.”

They walked past a street performer, Louis completely focused on the church.  Rather than walking to the entrance though, Harry first guided Louis towards another corner.  

“This part here?  It’s completely black like this because it’s the only part of the building that remained standing after the bombing.  They were able to salvage it and recreate it as best they could to look like the original.”

Louis leaned in closer to Harry, as if he needed to physically feel him there with him.

“The Hofkirche and the Kreuzkirche are both incredible in their own way, and according to most, none of these churches can even begin to inspire you or impress you in the way that other cathedrals, like the Cologne Cathedral, do, but the Frauenkirche?”  Harry paused here as he tried to pull his thoughts together.  “I feel like she’s the perfect symbol of Dresden.  Of people in general.  So often we find ourselves having to rebuild and start from scratch when plans we had hoped and planned on fall through, but even if we are only left with some stones and the corner of the building, we can be strong again.”

Louis was no longer looking at the church but was looking at Harry.

“Well shit, Haz.  Is that what you said when you did your episode on Dresden?”

Harry rubbed his hand nervously through his hair before wrapping his arm around Louis’ shoulders.  Harry couldn’t help pulling Louis even closer than he already was, and Louis didn’t resist.  He moved his Döner to his right hand and wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist.

“No.”  Harry swallowed roughly before placing a soft kiss in Louis’ hair.  “No, that’s the special version only you get.”

Louis tilted his head back, his blue eyes studying Harry intently.  “I like that I get the special version,” he whispered.

Harry smiled softly.  “You always do.”

Harry waited for Louis to say something, but he held back.  Again.  This had been happening with the two of them off and on for months now, both in person and over the phone or Skype, and Harry was getting frustrated.  Louis never usually hid anything from him, but more and more he became quiet.

Ignoring the knot that kept growing in his stomach, Harry kept Louis close and guided him towards the entrance.  “Come on.  We’ll peek inside then go over to the Blue Wonder and Schillerplatz.”

 

*~~***~~*

 

Louis yawned but kept walking.  “Why can’t we see the inside of the Opera house?”

Harry shook his head.  “I had no idea you’d be so interested or I would have tried to get us tickets for this weekend or something.”  

Harry took in the shadows that were growing more prominent beneath Louis’ eyes as the day went on.  It was starting to get dark, so Harry had planned on the last item of business for the day to be to sit by the Elbe and just watch the city and the people.  It was one of his favorite pastimes.  Dresden was so alive and had such a great feel to it that was even more palpable when night came.

“You need to go back to the hotel?  I know you didn’t sleep much last night.”

Louis shook his head emphatically.  “No.  I want to see everything you want to show me.  We only have a couple days and that’s not enough and I refuse to waste the time sleeping.”

Harry pulled Louis closer to him and walked him over the bridge to Neustadt.  “We haven’t spent any time here yet, I’ve got some ideas for us over here tomorrow, but I love looking at Altstadt from the riverbank.”

Harry guided Louis down some steps to a small, grassy area that looked made for people to lounge and enjoy the view of the city.  They settled down on one of the steps and leaned into each other.  It was still warm this time of year, but once the sun went down it could get a bit chilly, especially right by the river, and Harry revelled in Louis’ body warmth.

Louis leaned his head on Harry’s shoulder and they sat in silence.  Harry’s mind had wandered to a combination of Louis’ smell and what he loved about the city when Louis murmured something.

“Sorry, what was that?  I was stuck in my head.”

Louis sat up and cleared his throat.  “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something.”

Harry’s heart dropped to his stomach.  That didn’t sound good.  Shit.  Had Louis figured out that Harry had feelings for him and he didn’t reciprocate?  Fuck, he probably did, Harry had always been told he was obvious.

Harry nervously turned to Louis and saw him fiddling with the neckline of his shirt, adjusting how it laid on his shoulders.  At least Louis felt similarly, but that didn’t really help Harry at this point.

“Okay.  What’s up?”  Harry internally rolled his eyes.  He couldn’t have sounded less chill if he had tried.  This was his best friend.  His best friend since middle school, when they were both horrific drummers in the band before they realized they should stick to singing and other talents.  He shouldn’t be worried like this with Louis.  Louis always protected him, but this felt big and it felt like maybe Louis wouldn’t be able to protect Harry’s heart in this case.

Louis’ brow furrowed while he gathered his thoughts.  Harry gave him a moment but then Louis blurted out,  “I don’t want us to be like the Frauenkirche.”

Harry shook his head, all thoughts coming to a total stop.  “Uhm.  I’m sorry, I’m not quite following.”

Louis sighed and grabbed one of Harry’s hands.  “I’m afraid that what I’m going to say might be like a bomb destroying the best thing that has ever happened to me and that it will take ages to sort through the mess to try to reconstruct something as beautiful as what it was before.”

Harry tried to stop all thoughts of  _ What kind of bomb?! _ and focus on Louis’ obvious discomfort.  He gripped Louis’ hand tightly and bent down in an attempt to meet Louis’ eyes.

“Lou.  Whatever you have to say won’t destroy us like that.  I will admit that you’re scaring me, though.”

Louis squeezed his eyes shut.  “God.  Okay.  I’ll just say it.”  Harry watched as Louis pursed his lips and then straightened his shoulders.  He swept his hand through his fringe and said, “I totally understand if this isn’t mutual, and I would never,  _ ever _ want to change anything in our relationship if you didn’t want to, but I’ve kind of been in love with you.  Like, for awhile now.  And I just thought you should know.”

Harry’s eyes widened.  Did Louis really just say that?  He must be dreaming.  They fell asleep by the Elbe and he’s dreaming all of this is happening, because there is no way that Louis Tomlinson, famous model, is in love with Harry Styles, the pun filled travel guide on TV.

“Please say something?”

A tear dripped onto Harry’s chest, which woke him up a bit.  He was crying?  Harry raised his hand that didn’t have a vice grip on Louis to his cheek and found it wet.  Damn his unreliable emotions.  Harry raised the collar of his t-shirt to dry his cheeks, but they were wet with fresh tears soon after.

“I, uhm, don’t know what to say,” Harry squeaked out.  Louis’ face seemed to have a mask come over it and his vulnerability was covered in a second.  Shit.  “No!  No.  I mean, I do, but like.  God.  You just really caught me off guard.  I had no idea you felt the same way.”

Louis’ jaw dropped open.  “The same way?”

Harry nodded and continued to cry.  Curse his mother and the fact he inherited her tendency to cry when happy.

“Louis, I’m so fucking in love with you and I have been since I think high school.  I just never in my life imagined you could feel the same.  I really thought I was in for a lifetime of pining for my best friend.  Please tell me I’m not dreaming?”

Louis’ took in a shaky breath before lifting his hand to try to help Harry wipe away his tears.  “You are definitely not dreaming.  But maybe I am?  Fuck.  I don’t think my heart would be beating this fast if I was though.”

Harry laughed through his tears.  “Listen.  There’s a shop right around the corner.  What do you say we pick up some wine and call an Uber and then we can talk the rest of this out in the room.  We can always come back here tomorrow night.”

Louis nodded.  “Yeah.  Okay.  But first, I really need to do this.”

Harry felt like he was watching from outside of his body as Louis leaned forward and touched his lips to Harry’s.  Once they met, though, Harry was firmly on the ground, because his body felt like it was being licked by the most delicious flames.  His body was warmed and his hands felt a bit tingly and he couldn’t believe it was all due to a kiss.  This one kiss with Louis was proving better than orgasms with some of the men he’d hooked up with.

As the kiss deepened, Harry was startled out of it by a loud crackle and a bright light exploding above him.

“Oh my God,” Louis chuckled.  “This is the cheesiest shit I’ve ever been a part of.  You couldn’t have planned this, right?”

Harry stared in awe as fireworks took over the sky.  “I don’t even know why they’d be setting off fireworks.  It’s early September and not a holiday as far as I know?”  Harry was trying to make his brain function, but he couldn’t.  All it was telling him was  _ kiss Louis some more. _  Harry turned back to Louis, and the way the colors from the fireworks lit up his face made him even more stunning.  

“Lou?”  Louis turned to Harry and gave him the same soft smile Harry had enjoyed for years.  “I’ve been waiting a long time to say this.”

Louis arched a brow and leaned forward to give Harry another small kiss.  “Yeah?”

Harry nodded.  “Yeah.”  He took a quick breath and said, “I love you.”

Louis’ eyes brightened.  “I love you too.”

 

*~~***~~*

 

**Seven Months Later**

“Harry, it’s fucking cold.  Please tell me what you’re doing dragging me all around Cologne in the middle of the night.”

“It’s not that cold.  It’s early April, not January.”

Louis dug his heels in, causing Harry to nearly trip over himself.  He’d been dragging Louis along behind him at his superspeed pace for a reason he refused to divulge to Louis and Louis was still jetlagged and missing the warm weather of the Philippines where he’d been on vacation with his family for the last week.  He was tired, he was cranky, he was hungry as shit, and he really,  _ really _ wanted Harry to just fucking tell him what the hell was going on.

“Louis.  I promise this is going to be worth it and then I’ll get you that Durum you’ve been craving since you were in Turkey a couple months ago and then we can sleep as long as we want, okay?  Just please.  Trust me.”

Louis had been craving that Durum.  He’d had a dream about it a couple weeks ago and only the knowledge that he’d be in Cologne with Harry had kept him from leaving his photoshoot and camping out in Europe, eating his weight in lamb.  Louis rolled his eyes, giving in just like he always did.

“Fine.  But can you slow down a little, please?  My feet are killing me.  I didn’t wear the right shoes for this.”

Harry looked down at Louis’ brand new brogues and laughed.  “Of all the times for you to actually wear swanky clothes, Lou.”

“Fuck off.  I hadn’t seen you in just over two weeks.  I wanted to look nice for you.”

Harry’s smile softened to the special smile that Louis knew was reserved for only him.  “You do look fantastic.  I can’t wait to get you back to our hotel.”  

Louis smirked and took a step closer so he could run his nose down the sensitive side of Harry’s neck, causing chills to erupt.

“Oh yeah?  You have anything specific planned for when we get back to the hotel?”

Louis watched Harry swallow as he licked right at Harry’s pulse.  “M-maybe.  But first, I really do want you to see this.”

Louis huffed a bit, but pulled back anyway.  “Okay.  Come on.  Let’s go.”

Harry walked them down a couple more streets and suddenly, Louis found he couldn’t move.

Standing in front of him was the most incredible cathedral he had ever seen in his entire life.

“Oh my God,” he whispered.

“I know,” Harry said.  “It’s one of the most architecturally incredible buildings to witness in Europe, I think.”

Louis nodded, his eyes roaming the various spires and spikes and how the entire building made you want to look higher, be higher, somehow get to higher ground.  He supposed that was the purpose, and damn did it succeed.

“It really is amazing, but I think you were right.”

Harry looked at Louis, and Louis just smiled.  “I still prefer the Frauenkirche.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it. If you did, please leave a nice comment and kudos below! I'll also be forever indebted to you if you reblog the fic post [here](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/164521564243/if-its-meant-to-be-itll-be-itll-be-by).
> 
> Interested in helping support charities with fanfic? If you are, I could write a fic for you! Check out the info [here on Tumblr](https://1dfanworksforcharity.tumblr.com/post/174494969280/1d-fanworks-for-charity-auctions-for-lululawrence).


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